Rafael Benitez tells improving Liverpool FC to go on the attack

03 Feb 2010 10:00:00

Rafa Benitez 300
RAFA BENITEZ today challenged his players to turn defensive meanness into attacking panache - starting in Anfield's biggest game of the season so far.
Liverpool have forced their way back into Champions League contention on the back of a six-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and are now just a point behind fourth-placed Tottenham.
That sequence, however, has been built around the Reds' reliability at the back - they have kept five clean sheets since December 26 - rather than anything exciting they have done going forwards.
Benitez, though, is hoping things are about to change for the better and wants to see Liverpool show a sense of adventure when they tackle Everton this weekend, to boost their hopes of a top four finish.
'You have to keep analysing the big picture,' he said. 'If every week you think it is one step forward then one step back, you will become very nervous.
'So it is important to keep a perspective and giving confidence to the players. We have just had another win (against Bolton) and another clean sheet. That is a positive.
'Okay, it wasn't as good in attack as we want it to be but we have to keep pushing and we know can improve. We need more positives than negatives.
'The players know that we are improving. We are doing much better in defence and that is a big difference but we have to improve in attack, that is clear.'